(New York) The clash of generations and trajectories turned to the advantage of the youngest: Coco Gauff, rising star of world tennis, put an end to the career of the comeback Caroline Wozniacki on Sunday in the 1/8th finals of the Internationals the United States.
The 19-year-old American, ranked 6th in the world, won 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 and will return to the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows. Last year, she was eliminated by the French Caroline Garcia. This year, she should face the defending champion, Iga Swiatek.
The Polish, world N.1, must play her 1/8th final against the Latvian Jelena Ostapenko (21st) at the end of the program on Sunday.
In May, Gauff already played the quarters at Roland-Garros, where she had been a finalist in 2022. Both times in Paris, she was beaten by Swiatek.
On Sunday, after a slight ignition delay that caused him to lose his first game of service, Gauff found his stride and ultimately gave Wozniacki little chance in the first set.
In the second, Gauff committed a lot of unforced errors (22 for the second set alone and 44 for the whole match), and thus helped his 33-year-old opponent to equalize at one set everywhere on his serve.
But she clearly dominated the third round.
“I grew up watching her on TV, so being on the court with her was an honor,” Gauff commented. “As she hands over all the balls, you have to be strong mentally and know how to take your chances.”
Former world No.1, Wozniacki retired after being eliminated in the third round of the Australian Open in 2020. After three and a half years during which she married and gave birth to two children, she announced in his return to the circuit last June.
Falling to 623rd in the WTA, she received an invitation to play at Flushing Meadows where she spent three rounds with victories including against Petra Kvitova (11th) and Jennifer Brady, semi-finalist in New York in 2020 but down to 433rd in the world at the end of August.
The other quarter-final at the top of the table will pit the Czech Karolina Muchova (10th) against the Romanian Sorana Cirstea (30th).
Muchova, finalist at Roland-Garros, dismissed the Chinese Xinyu Wang (53rd), 6-3, 5-7, 6-1.
“In the third set, I found my game, with more slices and changes of pace,” admitted the Czech.
For her part, Cirstea easily got rid of the Swiss Belinda Bencic (13th), 6-3, 6-3.
“I love the playing conditions here,” in New York, “the surface and the balls. Every time I come, I feel at home,” said the Romanian, who returns to the front line at 33.
An improvement that she attributes, at least in part, to her new coach, former player Thomas Johansson (7th in the world in 2002). “This win is for him,” Cirstea said with a smile after her match.
In the men’s draw, American Ben Shelton (47th) beat his compatriot Tommy Paul (14th) 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.
The young American hopeful (20 years old) signs his second Grand Slam quarter for his first full year on the ATP circuit, after the Australian Open in January, where he had just been eliminated by Paul.
In Australia, “I learned how to be strong mentally,” he explained after his victory. He said he now has “faith” in his ability to win games and go far in big tournaments.
University champion in the United States in 2022 under the colors of Florida, Shelton will face in the quarter his compatriot Frances Tiafoe (10th), semi-finalist last year, who beat the Australian Rinky Hijikata (110th) 6-4, 6 -1, 6-4.
